Panel Review

Every international teaching assistant must be deemed "ready to teach" by a panel of reviewers prior to beginning an assignment. This panel consists of the following individuals: a faculty member from the candidate's department (if available), an ESL rater, a faculty member from an unrelated department, a faculty member with teaching expertise, and an undergraduate student. Each candidate's Panel Presentation will consist of a 10-minute lesson on a topic assigned by their department. Candidates who demonstrate spoken English proficiency and the ability to present their topic in a clear and organized fashion will be judged ready for a teaching assignment throughout their tenure as graduate students at FAU.

SITA candidates who do not pass the panel review will be unable to hold a teaching assignment; however, they will not lose financial assistance for the period of time it was offered in the original offer letter. These students are encouraged to take further English language lessons so that they may take the SITA program again at its next offering.

The type of assignment each SITA graduate receives is determined by the individual department or academic unit. Common assignments include tutor, laboratory assistant, and recitation leader. In some cases, SITA graduates are given full responsibility for a class. Each department exercises its own judgment about content readiness and sets its own standards for performance.